Internal-combustion engine.



J. W. BRADLEY.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21, 1909.

' Patented. June 14, 1910 2 SHEBTSSHEET l.

J. W. BRADLEY.

' INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21, 1909. 961,677a Patented June 14, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

ATTORNEY i 4.x. .bnic M "t-VASHKNGT 011'.

Applieotio To all w/wm may cont-cm:

Be it lFGc that l, Joni-ow. Be inner, a

citize of the United States. residing at Seattle, in the county oi King and State of 5 'Wesl ington, have invented certain new and useful improvements in lnternal-Qonious tion Engines, oi which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines; and its ooject is improve the efficiency of some.

The invention consists in tine novel construction, adaptation. and conibinetion of ,perts as will hereinafter (lS"1ll}BCi am claimed.

in the drawings fencing a part-off this specification, Figure is a vertical longituclinal cross sectional View. of an engine en1- boilying my invention.' 2 is an elevation the r'fit hand curl oi the engine as shown in l g. 1 with one of the camwlieels omitted. Figs. 3, 4.- antl 5 are cliagrammatic views showing the relative positions of the piston and the follower at three (lifierent points during one revolution.

The reference numeral 10 designates the engine cylinder which is rigidly secnrecl to suitable Tease 11 wherein provided bearings 12, for a. crank shaft Fitted Within so cylinder 1? piston i l 'wnlcli connected by rocl 1% the crank-pin. of

A second pistom or follower 15 is Within. the oyliric er and has a piston reel extending through an axially dis ope: ing in the cylinder lieacl 1?. v secared to the out '2" coal of the piston reel is ring 18 which is provided upon diametrically opposite sides with trunnions 19 for connection with lever elements 26 which are fulcrnrnecl to a pin 21. carrictl loy support 22.

t. in"

The latter is connected ior oscillation by a pin with legs 24 provided upon the cylincler. The ends of the lever elements which are opposite to their connecsions with said trunnions are connected by a link 25 with a rod 26 passing through a gnitle 9.7 which is rigid "with the engine base. rovi-tlecl for the rod 26 is a pin 28 navii upon its protruding ends rollers in camovays 30 formed in balance whee-is 31 which are splined or otherwise rigidly secured to the shaft.

The follower 15 as illustrated, ischanilcerecl to ailiorcl a liy-pass 32 therein which. communicates with cylinder chamber "Pa i .4. 1?. 11 v; 134$ atenteo e i no A429 i oo.

from above by apertures 33 and from below through an opening which is normally slant by valve 35 closing against an uncleineath seating face 36. valve is providecl with a stem 37 which extends axially through the piston-real 16 to a tiistance beyond the outer end of the same. The bore of the reel 16 through which saicl stem extends is enlargetL as at 38, Fig. l, to accommodate a spring 39 which acts between a collar &0 upon the stein and a removable bashing all inserted in the mouth of the bore. The spring as thus arranged tends to maintain the Volvo in closecl condition on its seat 36. Pivotelly secured by a pin 42 to cars 8 provided upon ring 18 is lever 44% having one of its arms extend over the top of valve-stem 37 while its other arm is disposed to ice in position to encounter in its successive clownxvarcl movements a stud which is adjustably secured to the cylinder log 46.

In the periplieral wall of the cylinder a port l? for*the'a(lmission of the comcustiale gases and is positioned at alieiglit to be in plane intermediate the piston 13 end the ollowcr 15 when they have completetl their lp'wartl strokes represented in Fig. his port is connected by a pipe &8 with c. 'as supply anti, in practice, wonlcl desirably ave included in its length an automatic non-return valve, not shown in the olravvings, which may be of the ordinary type oi? chick-valves. At the top oi tlie cylinder, as in the cylinderliead for example, is an opening 49 for the discharge of the spent 50. represents a sparking-plug which is dis posecl to be somewhat below the level of soixl intake port 47 so that the latter may masked by the follower l5 to the ignition of the gases. The sparking-plug is C(H'lllEPllzLl by electric connecting Wires 51 with a suitable energizer, not shown. which is actuated in proper sequence through mechanism operated from the engine shaft.

52 is a spring for yielclingly holding the end of lever ii against the top of the valve stem 37.

The operation of the invention is as fol lows: l issun'iing that a compressed charge of previously admitted explosive gases is pres ent between the piston 14 ami the follower 15 when in the position 'Whereat they are represented in. Fig. 4:. The piston and the. follower then descend. through the momendesired compression at a predetermined tum derived from the preceding explosion and principally conserved in the cam-wheels 31 and is transn'iitted to such members through the agency of the shaft-crank and the rollers Qt) being actuated in, the camways 30. By the piston and the follower thus accompanying each of the charge therebetween its-(maintained until, at least, the crank has passed well over ithe dead center. \Vhereupon the ignition of the charge is effected through-the timed sparking devices to impart power through the piston to the shaft, Through the camwheels and connecting mechanism (rods 20, E25 and lever 20) the follower is coincidently caused to proceed in its downward travel in opposition to the force of the explosion, but at a less speed than that at whiclithe piston is traveling. This difference in' the speeds of the piston and follower allows for the expansion of the exploded charge and thereby furnishes the effective power to the engine. Vt'hen the piston and follower are respectively in proximity to the ends of such downward strokes, see Fig. 5, the lever 41- strikes the stud 45 causing the lever 4% being tilted by the stud to overcome the power of the spring 39 and thereby open the valve 35, as indicated in Fig. 1. A still further downward movement of the follower to gether with the unbalanced pressures prevailing above and below the follower causes the previously exploded gases to flow through the follower and thence escape by the discharge opening 49. The fol ower, through the. oilices of the cams 31, now ascends, the valve 35 remaining open until the lever 44 has been elevated from the stud 45 to allow the spring 39 to assert its power to close the valve. The follower continuin to ascend creates a partial vacuum therebedow which induces an intake of a charge of the explosive-gases through the port 47 between the follower and the pursuing piston. The latter begins its upstroke subsequent to the starting of the follower which arrives at the termination of its stroke when the piston is about in the position wliereat it is indicated in Fig. 3.. The piston continuing in its upward travel effects the compression of the charge and thus completes a cycle of operation in a single rotation of the shaft.

While I have illustrated and described a single cylinder engine, twoor more cylin= ders ma'y obviously be employed instead.

Among the functions presented by this invention may be mentioned the creation of an effective maximum compression of the. explosive gases being maintained after. the crank-shaft has traversed the dead-center and which may be varied by the adjustment of the cam controlling the follower. Said cam device allows of regulation to effect the point.

other the pressure What I claini is- 1. In a gas engine, a piston, a follower having movement independent of the piston, a by-pass extending through said follower, a spring-closed valve for said toy-pass, means operative from the engine shaft for reciprocating the follower, subsequent to the initial movement of the follower toward said piston for opening said valve for the escape of the spent gases throu 'h said by-pass.

2. I n a gas engine, the combination of the piston, the follower, means actuated by an explosion intermediate the piston and follower causing the follower to accompany the piston, a by-pass in the follower, a valve for the by-pass, and means operative by the mo tions of said follower for opening the valve for the escape of spent gases therethrough during the later portions of the downward stroke and the early portions of the 11 Ward stroke of the follower. and a spring or restoring said valve to its closed position during the remaining portions of the follower stroke.

3. In a gas engine, the combination of a cylinder, a piston, a crank-shaft, a connecting rod, a follower, connections between said shaft and the follower whereby the latter is given corresponding motions with the piston at ditterent speed, an inlet port. for the admission of the explosive char 'e between the piston and the follower, an ex iaust 'oplem ing in the end of the cylinder, a passageway through the follower, a Valve for said passageway, and automatic means for openmg said valve subsequent to the explosion of said charge.

4. In a gas engine, the combination with the cylinder provided intermediate of its length with an inlet port and an exhaust port at an end of the cylinder, of a piston, a follower, a by-pass in the follower, a valve in said by-pass, connections between the piston and the follower adapted to cause their traveling at ditierent speeds so as to effect during one stroke of the pistonthe ex'p'ulsioirof spent gases, the intake of an explosive charge and the compression of. the same, and in the following stroke the maintenance of the compression during the early part of the stroke, and the opening of said by-pass valve during the latter portion of the stroke and subsequent to the explosion of said charge.

5. In a gas engine, the combination of the cylinder provided with an inlet port intermediate its length and an exhaust port at one end, a crank-shaft, a piston, a connecting rod between the piston and said shaft, a follower having a by-pass thorethrough, a piston-rod for the follower and extending through the cylinder end, valve, for said by-pas s, a

stem for the. valve and extending through said piston rod, means operated from said 'and means operative shaft and connected with said piston rod for actuating the follower, and means engageable with said stein for retaining said valve open when said follower is in proximity to the lower end of its stroke/s. V

6. in a. gas engine, the combination ofthc cylinder provided with an inlet port intermediate its length and an exhaust port at one end, a crank-shaft, a piston, a connecting rod between the piston and said shaft, a follower having a by-pass thcrethrough, a piston rod for the follower and extending through the cylinder end, a cam upon said shaft, operative connections between said cam and the piston rod, a valve for the by-pass at the end of the follower adjacent to said piston, a stem for the valve and extending through said piston-rod, a spring acting to maintain said valve in closed condition, and means engageable with said stem for retainin said valve open when said follower is in proximity to the lower end of its strokes.

7. In a engine, the combination of the cylinder provided with an inlet port intermediate its length and anexhaust port at one end, crank-shaft, a piston, a connecting rod between the piston and the said shaft, follower having a by-pass therethrough, a pistoirrod for the follower and extending through the cylinder end, means operated from said shaft and connected with said piston rod for actuating the follower, a valve for the lay-pass, a stem for the valve and extending through said piston rod, a spring acting to maintain said valve in closed condition, a lever carried by said piston-rod, and means engagcable by said lever during the downward strokes of the follower for eti'c :ting the opening of said valve.

8. In a gas engine, a piston, a follower having a by-pass therein, a valve for said bypass, mcansfor actuating said follower to cause the same to accompany the piston in the downward stroke of the latter, means actuated by the movement of the follower and subsequent to the connnencement of its doumward stroke for opening said valve, and means for restoring said valve to its closed condition during the upward stroke of the follower.

9, In a gas engine, the combination with a cylinder having an inietand an outlet, a piston within the cylinder, a follower within. the cylinder and having a bypass extending therethrough, a rod on the follower extended through the end of the cylinder, avalve for said by-pass, a spring tending to maintain said valve in closed condition, means connected with said rod for reciprocating the follower, means inoperative during the early downward movement of the follower for opening said valve to exhaust the spent gases during the final portion of the downward and the early portion of the upward strokes of the follower.

- 7 JOHN W. BRADLEY. v Witnesses linnnn BARNES, J. E. ZroKnIoK. 

